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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25667737">Force Of Habit</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Enemies to Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining, aang and katara and iroh are mentioned, and zuko 78, dont know how tags work, fisrt time posting on here, i typed sokka 82 times, oblivious idiots</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 04:02:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,722</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25667737</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In an attempt to trick fire nation soldiers, Sokka gets stuck in The Cave of Two Lovers with the guy who's been hunting down him and his friends for the past few months. </p><p> “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions; watch your actions, they become your habits; watch your habits, they become your character; watch your character, it becomes your destiny.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>262</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Force Of Habit</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello! this is my first time publishing a fic on here!! im super nervous abt posting this as its obviously not perfect, but i saw this prompt on tumblr and i was inspired!! i know this could be better, but ive been sitting on it for weeks and i decided to just publish it with whatever flaws it may have. im well aware the quote in the summary doesnt fit perfectly (bcs i only found it like ¾ of the way through writing the story, and i added it cos i thought it was cute //// It would definitely suit a longer fic with chapters and stuff better)<br/>this takes place during book2ep2 (canon divergence kinda) however if i had the foresight to have known id actually see this whole thing through, i would have written it to have happened later on, maybe after zuko joins the gaang in book 3. I found this difficult to incorporate though, because sokka and zuko were already friends by then, and im absolutely weak for enemies to lovers. plus, i couldnt think of a reason why ;<br/>1) book3 sokka and zuko would need to pass through the cave of 2 lovers without having sokka's prior knowledge of the cave and 2) how they would get trapped in there together.<br/>the reason i wanted to have this happen later on is bcs well, sokka and zuko are 15 and 16 respectively, in book2. theres obviously no graphic descriptions for that reason. if and when i write more in the future, expect modern aus or post war aus, which have the characters appropriately aged up as to avoid discomfort of any kind.<br/>anyways, regardless of all that, i hope you enjoy!!  (feedback is appreciated but pls be nice :’))) </p><p> </p><p>  <s>also when i pasted the text here i realised the whole thing is built like a goddamn poem,,, i swear it looked better in the doc-</s></p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Sokka ran until his legs felt heavy. It was getting harder to breathe by the second, the air in his lungs stung. He knew that one misaligned step would send him into the ground. </p><p>The fire nation soldiers were right on his heels. But all he had to do is lose them in the cave. He had to. He told Aang and Katara that he'd do so. He told them to run, so they did. </p><p>Sokka's mind was racing nearly as fast as he was running. He couldn't let them down. </p><p>A wave of heat from behind, snapped Sokka out of his thoughts. They were close. Not daring to slow down to look back, he kept running towards the entrance of the cave. The blood pumping through his ears was deafening, yet all of a sudden, his surroundings seemed quieter. Turning his head nearly made Sokka lose his balance. But what he saw was surely worse than a face full of dirt. </p><p>Zuko appeared from behind the fire nation soldiers, but instead of making a b-line for him, he began taking down the men. </p><p>Sokka kept running, as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. Yells and cries echoed all around him as he finally entered the cave. What was Zuko doing?  </p><p>Sokka began to slow down as he made his way deeper into the cave, thinking he had gotten away. He turned a corner and leaned against the cool rock wall. His breath hitched in his throat when he heard a deep, earthy, rumbling sound. He peaked around the corner and saw the cave entrance collapsing on itself, partially in flames </p><p>Zuko had destroyed the entrance to the cave, blocking out the soldiers and trapping himself inside with Sokka. </p><p>“I know you're in here. I saw you run in!” Zuko called out into the dark cave. </p><p>Sokka didn't dare breathe. </p><p>Zuko’s footsteps drew nearer and so did the light from his flame. </p><p>Just as Zuko was about to call out again, he was tackled to the ground. </p><p>Sokka pinned his wrists to the cold, cave floor. Zuko couldn't firebend like this. </p><p>“What is your damn issue?” Sokka said through gritted teeth and heavy breaths. </p><p>Zuko didn't reply. </p><p>“Why did you attack your own men? I was gonna lure them in here, trap them, and then go back to Aang and Katara. But you just had to mess that up, didn't you?” Sokka continued, his grip on Zuko’s wrists tightening. </p><p>“Are you gonna talk or not?” Sokka yelled, leaning closer to Zuko's face, thinking that he could get his point across. </p><p>Zuko winced. </p><p>“Let's just try to get out of here, okay?” Zuko mumbled, averting his gaze from Sokka’s. All of a sudden, he felt his chest squeeze. Now however, wasn't the time to contemplate on its cause or meaning. </p><p>“Who are you trying to fool? The second I release you, you're gonna attack me and forfeit me to those soldiers outside!” </p><p>“I'm not with them!” Zuko retaliated. “Not anymore.” </p><p>Sokka blinked.</p><p>“And why should i believe you?” he scowled. </p><p>“Let me make a flame, and you'll see.” Zuko replied. </p><p>Sokka wasn't buying it. However, the flames burning the debris from the entrance to the cave were dying down by the second. It was already dim, but soon they’d be plunged into total darkness. </p><p>“Look, i get it. I get you don't trust me. You can keep me pinned down, but just let go of my wrists and i'll prove it to you.”</p><p>Zuko wanted to get annoyed but he understood Sokka's concern. To his surprise, Sokka released his hands, but kept him pinned to the ground with his icy stare. </p><p>Two small, yet bright flames floated in Zuko's palms, properly illuminating the two of them. </p><p>“Your hair. You cut it off…” Sokka said, the realisation dawning on him. Zuko's ponytail was gone, and he seemed to have a regular buzz cut. He didn't notice it when he saw Zuko amongst the soldiers or as he tackled him to the ground. </p><p><em>It suits him more.</em> Sokka thought.</p><p>“I've been banished for a long time, but… it's only now that uncle and I no longer side with the fire nation.” Zuko explained. </p><p>“My father sent my sister to hunt us down, for you know… treason and stuff.” </p><p>There was a short yet awkward silence. </p><p>“.... I see” Sokka replied, still processing the new information. </p><p>“Why did you follow me in here though? And why did you block the entrance?” Sokka asked, trying to piece all of this together. </p><p>Zuko didn't really have an answer. </p><p>“I don't know…” he mumbled.</p><p>Sokka narrowed his eyes. </p><p>"Old habits die hard, i guess." Zuko said looking away. </p><p>Sokka sighed.</p><p>“I wont rat you out to the fire nation soldiers. Unless you decide to attack me, that is.” Sokka said, standing up. He looked at Zuko, who sat up, propping himself up on his elbows. </p><p>Sokka extended his hand out to help Zuko up. Zuko looked at Sokka's hand, and then up at his face, in disbelief. Almost as if to ask <em>“after all of that, why are you being nice to me?”</em></p><p>Right then, Sokka saw Zuko in a different light for the first time. He never realised how…pretty Zuko’s eyes were. The flames and his irises were almost the same colour. A warm marigold. The observation caught Sokka off guard. He quickly pushed the feeling down.</p><p>“...A-are you okay?” Zuko stuttered.</p><p>“Yep, I'm fine!” Sokka did his best to play it off. He moved his hand to show he actually wanted to help Zuko up. Zuko took it tentatively. Right away, he noticed how cold Sokka's hand was. Not worryingly frigid, but pleasantly cool. It felt like finally escaping the sun and finding shade on a hot summer day. </p><p>Sokka noticed too. He noticed how warm Zuko 's hand was. It wasn't a kind of sultry warm. It was comfortable. Pleasant. It was like sitting down next to a campfire after being stuck in a blizzard for god knows how long. </p><p>Both of them were now standing, but they still hadn't let go of each other's hands.  </p><p>At the same time, they accidentally made eye contact. Realisation dawned on the pair.<br/>
Instantly, they mumbled incoherent sorrys to one another; Sokka chuckled and scratched the back of his head, and Zuko dropped his arms down awkwardly by his sides, feeling his cheeks heating up. </p><p>Sokka looked around, as Zuko created another flame. </p><p>“You know we’re screwed right?” Sokka commented, after a moment. “I didn't think i'd actually get stuck in here…”</p><p>Zuko furrowed his brow.</p><p>“It's just a cave. I know I blocked the entrance but surely there's another way out?” he said, shining the light of the flame on the walls of the cave <em>“what would uncle do?”</em>  he added, under his breath.</p><p>“You don't know what this place is, do you?” Sokka remarked, beginning to walk. </p><p>“I assume you didn't talk to the gang of singing idiots not too far from here, huh? They didn't tell you about the <em>curse?</em>” He dramatically emphasized the word ‘curse’. </p><p>“Get on with it.” Zuko glanced at Sokka, annoyed. </p><p>Sokka cleared his throat and put on his best storytelling voice. </p><p>“Welcome to the cave of two lovers! A.K.A the secret tunnel! According to the legend, there once existed a couple, <em>but</em> they were from rivaling tribes who were at war with each other. They were banned from seeing one another under any circumstance. So, they decided to meet in secret! Their villages were separated by the mountain we are standing under this very moment! They built an elaborate labyrinth, connecting the two sides of the mountain, making sure they could meet without getting caught! Anyone who followed the lovers into the cave got hopelessly lost, and never made it out again. Only the lovers could navigate through these cold, winding and never ending corridors!” </p><p>Zuko scoffed.</p><p>“So how did these lovers not get lost themselves?” </p><p>“Oh Zuko, they had the power, and trust in <em>love</em>!” Sokka said, spinning in a circle with his arms extended.</p><p>Zuko groaned in disgust, rolling his eyes.  </p><p>“Tales of love are full of it. You don't really believe in that crap, do you?” </p><p>“Nah.” sokka replied in his normal voice. “But hey, at least we know there's another exit!” he added. </p><p>“And i have an idea!” he said, reaching into his boomerang sleeve and pulling out a roll of parchment, some ink and a brush. </p><p>“We’ll just map out the corridors! That way we won't get lost” Sokka flashed Zuko a smile. There it was again. The squeeze in Zuko's chest.</p><p>“Hm. Not bad.” he mumbled as Sokka prepared to draw on the map. </p><p>The sound of the brush on paper somewhat lightened the silence.</p><p>“Uncle is probably really worried about me…” Zuko said under his breath. </p><p>Sokka looked up, feeling a sting of worry. </p><p>“I hope Aang and Katara are okay…”  </p><p>Another silence followed.</p><p>“Lets not think about that now though! Lets focus on getting outta here.” Sokka said drawing the first few corridors they walked through. </p><p>Zuko sighed.</p><p>“Yeah you're right.” he said. Sokka's optimism somehow comforted him. </p><p>Sokka chuckled. </p><p>“You bet i am!”</p><p> </p><p>-   -  -</p><p>“Are we lost?” Zuko said, squinting at the lines scrawled with black ink on parchment. </p><p>Sokka rotated the “map” in his hands, trying to make sense of the tangled mess of corridors he had documented. </p><p>"...maybe?" Sokka said in a pitched, tentative voice. </p><p>Zuko let out an exasperated sigh. They had been wandering around the cave for what felt, and maybe was, hours. At first, recording the tunnels wasn't too difficult. But one poorly drawn line derailed them completely. Zuko would ask Sokka if he knew what he was doing, and Sokka would assure him so. However, after some time Zuko began to notice confusion and a hint of fear in Sokka's expression.  Most of the time, they remained silent. They both sucked at small talk and they knew it.  </p><p>"What now? What are we gonna do?" Zuko asked, letting that look on Sokka's face get to him. He was feeling more anxious by the minute. The flame in his hand grew and receded back rapidly, showing how scared Zuko felt, even though his face displayed no signs of fear.</p><p>Sokka shook himself off from the dreadful feeling and took a deep breath. </p><p>"Let's take a small break, shall we? Just to collect our thoughts." Sokka said, rolling up the parchment and sliding down to sit on the cave floor.  </p><p>The flame in Zuko's hand continued to flicker. </p><p>"Sokka, we can't stop for long…" he said, sitting down with his legs crossed next to him. </p><p>Sokka froze. Zuko just called him by his name for the first time. The feeling from earlier resurfaced, but it was harder to push it down this time.  </p><p>“I know.” Sokka said, resting his head against the cave wall and looking up at the ceiling. “Don't worry, we’ll find a way out.”  </p><p>He peaked at Zuko from the corner of his eye. He was staring into the flickering flame in the palm of his hand. Sokka pouted. </p><p>“So, what's on your mind?” he asked, bringing his hands up to rest between the back of his head and the cave wall.</p><p>Zuko wasn't used to being asked stuff like that. So he shrugged. </p><p>“I don't know… i guess, i'm thinking about the stuff you told me earlier. About this cave’s story. And i-” Zuko cut himself off.  “Never mind, its stupid-” he said squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head. </p><p>Zuko flinched at the sudden, yet gentle touch of Sokka's hand on his shoulder. </p><p>“Hey… it's okay. Im sure its not stupid. What is it?” he said in a benign voice. Something about the way Sokka spoke made Zuko want to tell him anything and everything.  </p><p>“I... i know i said i didn't believe any of this, but i was thinking. The legend says that if you trust in love, you'll make it through the tunnel but… i don't really know what kind of love that means…? Is it love for a person? A place? A thing? How strong does it have to be? Are there exceptions? Rules? I just…-” </p><p>He exhaled deeply. He glanced over at Sokka, who was now turned facing him, listening more intently than anyone he’s ever seen. </p><p>“Trust and love on their own are difficult enough, but trusting in love? I barely know what that means, let alone ever do it…” Zuko trailed off, his eyes focusing on the flame in his hand. </p><p>After a moment of reflective silence, Sokka spoke up.</p><p>“I mean, you did just trust me…” </p><p>Zuko turned his head to look at Sokka, trying to process what just happened. </p><p>“Honestly, i don't know the answers to your questions. I wish I did. But would you like to hear what i think?” </p><p>Zuko nodded his head. </p><p>“I know just from being in here with you, you trust and love your uncle. And I am sure he trusts and loves you too. This just tells me you are capable of doing both of those things. I've been thinking about how I love and trust aang, katara… and my dad. And I know they all feel the same. So why wouldn't that be enough? Why isn't us trusting in our friends and family enough to get us out? Maybe…” Sokka began putting the puzzle pieces together. </p><p>“Maybe it's because we don't have to fight for their love. Does that make sense? In the legend, the lovers had to fight to be with one another, yet the reason why they could always find each other was because they trusted that their love for one another was so strong it could bring them together no matter what. They defied the war between their tribes and a mountain that separated them.” he trailed off. </p><p>Zuko looked over at Sokka. He could almost see the wheels turning in his head. Zuko wanted to speak, but the tightness in his throat made that difficult. </p><p>He finally broke through the silence.<br/>
“....that…” he hesitated. “That sounds a bit like us, don't you think?”</p><p>Sokka felt the heat rise up in his cheeks. </p><p>“We have a lot of differences. We’re from rivaling nations separated by war. Yet here we are, working together.” Sokka remarked, looking down at the ground while fidgeting with his hands.</p><p>Zuko took a breath. </p><p>“I know it's my fault that we’re stuck in here. I wouldn't have gotten us into this mess if i just hadn’t been so impulsive and stupid.”</p><p>His breathing got faster with every word. </p><p>I wouldn't have worried my uncle or your friends. I wouldn't have put our lives at risk. I wouldn't have developed these feelings for yo-” </p><p>Zuko froze, cutting himself off. How could he have blurted such a thing out? </p><p>“I- i mean! I can explain-” he stammered, raising his hands in front of him defensively. His flame went out. They were plunged into total darkness. </p><p>He didn't even have a second to catch his breath, or make a new flame before Sokka's lips met his. Zuko's hands moved around awkwardly, before melting into the touch. He closed his eyes as Sokka brought his hand up to his cheek. Zuko hung his arm around Sokka's shoulders, pulling him closer. </p><p>A dim, blue light began to light up the space around them. Only after noticing it, they pulled away from each other. They looked up and were met with the sight of glowing cerulean crystals, covering the ceiling of the cave. </p><p>Just like Zuko's eyes were the color of his fire, Sokka's matched the glowing gems. When they looked into each others eyes they only saw light. </p><p>“How’s that for “crap”, mister i-don't-believe-in-love-tales?” Sokka joked, raising an eyebrow at Zuko, who seemed to have only started processing what just happened. </p><p>“You didn't believe it either!” Zuko rebutted, furrowing his brow.</p><p>Soon they both burst into laughter. The ceiling crystals glowed brighter. </p><p>“Come on.” Sokka said, standing up and offering his hand to Zuko, just as he’d done before. However this time, Zuko didn't hesitate to take it.  </p><p>“Let's get out of here” Zuko finished, giving Sokka's hand a gentle squeeze. </p><p>They didn't let go of each other's hands. Not this time.</p>
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